"Tch, he is done already?!"
"He wrote the episode scripts, composed a song, what else do you want him to do? Animate the first episode live on the spot?"
"Now that you mention it that actually sounds possible!?"
"Right?! The fact that he didn't draw anything makes me want to dock a point from my final score!"
"You want him to animate in this little time? Even Satan would have your name tattooed on his back!"
"Just admit you love his work!"
"Of course I do! But still, he didn't draw anything!"
"I propose that before filming starts, Old Thief should first release a manga version!"
"Brilliant idea! I'm leaving a comment on his SNS right now!"
"."
Even though Akifumi had clearly finished his work, the livestream chat remained lively, with fans refusing to leave.
As for the judges, the moment he sat back down, they switched the livestream to check on other contestants.
Sure, they couldn't announce the final results immediately with so many entries, even skimming each one for a minute would take over two hours.
But why not take this opportunity to get a general idea now? That way, they could slack off later.
After all, who actually works seriously for their entire shift these days? If you don't steal a little break time here and there, are you even earning your paycheck properly?
Seriously. Think about it.
After all these years of working hard, has your salary increased? Has your position improved?
Ahem. Back on track.
The final minutes passed in a flash.
Especially when the 30-minute warning sounded, many contestants were sweating bullets, scrambling to finish their work.
Meanwhile, Akifumi sat comfortably on the sofa, snacking.
A stark contrast.
And then
"Time's up! All contestants, stop working immediately!"
[244] The Thoughts of the Girls!
Meanwhile, just a little before the competition officially ended
At Akifumi Mugiho's Home
"As expected of Mugiho-kun! He's amazing!!"
"Tch, that guy's actually pretty good, huh?"
Eriri and Mahiru watched the screen with eyes sparkling in excitement.
Ever since the competition started, the two had barely left their seats except for quick bathroom breaks and grabbing food deliveries.
They were glued to the live broadcast.
Mashiro, on the other hand, wasn't as obsessed as them.
She continued drawing her manga, only occasionally taking breaks to glance at the screen with mild interest.
"How does this guy's brain even work? To come up with such a compelling story in such a short time?" Eriri muttered in disbelief.
Mahiru chuckled softly, covering her mouth. "Did you forget what the judges said? Mugiho-kun had already built up material before this."
"Everyone has material! But even if I had a whole month, I could never create a story like Unnatural!"
Eriri sighed in frustration.
Writing Shokugeki no Souma had improved her storytelling skills, but there was still an overwhelming gap between her and Akifumi.
Even if she had an entire month, there was no way she could craft a masterpiece like this.
"Why is there such a massive gap between people!?"
But then, her frown disappeared, replaced by a proud smirk.
Sure, she might be far behind Akifumi Mugiho now but he was her man!
Watching him shine on the grand stage, dazzling the world, she couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
Mahiru, still smiling, glanced at Eriri thoughtfully before saying, "Judging by the judges' reactions, Mugiho-kun is definitely taking first place in this round."
"Obviously! There's no way any other work could be more complete than Unnatural Death in such a short time!"
Then, as if suddenly remembering something important, Mahiru stood up from her seat.
"Huh? Where are you going, Mahiru?"
"To prepare dinner for Mugiho-kun."
"Slurp."
Eriri, recalling Mahiru's incredible cooking skills, practically drooled.
A faint blush dusted her cheeks, but after a brief hesitation, she stood up as well.
Mahiru looked at her in surprise.
Eriri straightened her back and said with determination, "I'll help too! It's not fair for you to do all the work."
Mahiru studied her for a moment before smiling. "Alright then, let's cook together."
"Mmhmm!"
At Hiratsuka Shizuka's Home
"AHAHAHAHA!! Do you see this, Seika? That's my student!!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka was laughing loudly, completely throwing away her usual intelligent and dignified demeanor.
Her cheeks were slightly flushedshe had clearly been drinking.
Iijichi Seika let out a helpless chuckle.
"Yes, yes. That's your student. Your most outstanding student."
"Hah! As if! He's not even my most outstanding student."
One second, she was full of pride. The next, she was pouting like a tsundere.
Iijichi Seika shook her head in exasperation. "Honestly, his storytelling skills have nothing to do with you, though?"
"What do you mean, nothing to do with me!? I taught him Japanese literature!"
""
She's completely drunk.
Iijichi sighed.
Not long ago, Shizuka had been complaining about how Akifumi was a complete monster who didn't even need to study to remain at the top of the rankings.
But now, she was taking full credit for his talent?
Yeah, no point arguing with a drunk.
Giving up on the conversation, Iijichi grabbed her beer can and took a swig.
"Cheers."
"Cheers!!"
Shizuka instantly matched her, raising her drink. Then, she turned back to the screen, grinning like a fool.
Kato Megumi
"Why is Akifumi-kun so ridiculously talented?"
Kato stared at her phone screen, watching the live broadcast with a complicated expression.
Then, she let out a small sigh.
"It's impossible to catch up to him, isn't it?"
But instead of feeling disheartened, she clenched her fists and steeled herself.
"No. It's not about closing the distance between us. I just have to focus on improving myself."
With that, she turned off her phone, pulled out her chemistry workbook, and quietly began solving problems.
Shinomiya Kaguya
"Damn that guy!!"
Shinomiya Kaguya glared at the screen, her small, sharp canines showing as she bit her lip in frustration.
The usual icy, composed demeanor was nowhere to be seenright now, she just looked adorably angry.
Because that damn man had made her cry multiple times!
And now, she finally knew what the culprit looked like!
But after a few seconds of pouting, her anger faded, replaced by a helpless sigh.
After all what could she do?
Even if she knew he was responsible for all the heartache she'd suffered reading his stories, there was no way to actually get back at him.
"Tch. He could've just written his stories like this from the start."
She muttered under her breath.
If he had simply tweaked the endings, the tragedies could have become happy stories.
Then, a sudden thought struck her.
"First place?"
"Hmph! Like hell I'm giving him a perfect score!"
At most at most, he'd get an 8.
The remaining 2 points? Consider it payback for all the emotional trauma he caused!
With that decision made, Kaguya smiled smugly.
Meanwhile, standing beside her, Hayasaka Ai sighed internally.
"Kaguya-sama's finally showing her goofy side"
Kasumigaoka Utaha
"A fellow writer of the same age and he's this good?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha stared at the whiteboard filled with story outlines, her expression caught between admiration and despair.
After reading something like this, she couldn't even muster the will to try competing.
"Seriously this level of talent is just unfair."
[245] The Relentless Fans Demand More!
Back at the competition venue
"Time's up! All participants, please stop writing!"
At that moment, Kana's voice echoed through the speakers, reaching every contestant in the room.
The majority of them instinctively set their pens down.
Their expressions variedsome sighed in relief, others looked anxious, and a few appeared utterly bewildered. Clearly, some contestants lacked confidence in their work.
On the other hand, there were those who exuded pride and self-assurance, their faces practically glowing with satisfaction.
Just from their expressions alone, the disparity in skill levels among participants became evident.
And then, there was another groupthe desperate ones.
These contestants, instead of stopping, frantically sped up their writing, their foreheads drenched in sweat.
They looked like students scrambling to fill in the last few blanks as the exam proctor called for pens down.
A moment later, Kana's voice lost its usual cheerfulness and turned stern:
"All contestants must immediately stop writing. Anyone who continues after this warning will be disqualified from the competition."
Hearing this, those who had been pushing their luck froze, their pens hovering mid-air before they finally dropped their hands in frustration and resignation.
Meanwhile, in the official live stream chat, a flurry of comments flooded in:
"That's it! The first round is over!"
"The tension was insane! You could really feel the pressure in the contestants' expressions at the end!"
"Of course! This is a competition, after all. Only the best will survivehalf of them are getting eliminated today!"
"Survive? Bro, are you sure about that?"
"I was watching a certain someone's live stream, and compared to everyone else I don't even know what to say."
"LOL, just read out his ID at this point."
"My review? That guy wasn't here to compete."
"Then what was he doing?"
"Taking a nap in a different location."
".."
The chat's ridicule wasn't unwarranted.
Unlike the other contestants, Akifumi's live stream had an entirely different atmosphere.
When Kana first announced the time was up, he was lying on a couch, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
His body barely twitched in response.
It wasn't until the second, more serious warning was issued that he stirred slightly, blinked in confusion, and groggily sat up, yawning.
Disoriented, he rubbed his eyes, looking like a groggy elementary schooler waking up on a bus ride to a field trip rather than a contestant in a high-stakes writing competition.
After sitting there dazed for several seconds, his gaze cleared, and he muttered, "Oh, it's over? Finally, I can go home."
Without a hint of hesitation or sentimentality, Akifumi stood up, stretched lazily, and walked out, leaving behind the work he had spent hours creating.
This scene instantly sent waves through the audience.
"This guy's mindset is unbeatable."
"Even the contestants who were confident in their work are still hanging around. Meanwhile, this guy just walks out like it's nothing."
"Speaking of confidence, do we even need to debate whether 'Unnatural' is taking first place?"
"Maybe there's another dark horse?"
"You sure about that?"
"Uh not really. But hey, surprises happen!"
"."
Meanwhile, back at the competition venue, the staff began collecting all the contestants' materials. Kana spoke once more:
"All materials related to the competition will now be gathered by our staff. Contestants may stay to observe or leave at their discretion."
As if on cue, the live stream cut to Akifumi exiting the room.
Kana's eyelid twitched.
She had an overwhelming urge to comment, but professionalism held her back.
In contrast, the other contestants remained seated, watching intently as their work was carefully packed away.
Only when the last piece was secured did they finally breathe out in relief.
A few lingered even longer, striking up conversations with fellow competitors.
Had Akifumi been there to witness this, he would have felt even more justified in his early departure.
Despite his industry status intimidating many, there were always a few daring individuals who wouldn't hesitate to strike up a conversation.
Though exchanging ideas with peers was enjoyable, at the end of the day, nothing sounded more appealing than a home-cooked meal waiting for him.
Back in the official live stream, once the last piece of work had been collected, Kana put on her usual cheerful smile and made the final announcement:
"And with that, today's competition has officially concluded! We'll see you all next week, same time, same place!"
According to the competition rules, today's event was now over.
Scoring and evaluations would be conducted online over the coming days, with results finalized by next Thursday. The judges' critiques would also be published online rather than delivered live, as assessing so many works on the spot would be unrealistic.
Once again, the chat exploded with excitement:
"First round, complete! Celebration time!"
"Hurry up and upload Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei story! I NEED to read it!!"
"It's been ten minutes since the competition ended, and I'm already losing my mind without 'Unnatural' to read!"
"Guys, you know what we need to do."
"Huh?"
"Go after him and DEMAND updates!"
"Wait, what?"
"That's right! We're forcing him to continue 'Unnatural'!"
"Didn't he already have a ton of unfinished stories?"
"Come on, does the number of stories even matter? The guy starts new ones all the time anyway."
"True. LET'S GO!"
""
Somewhere out there, Akifumi had no idea that a work he hadn't even fully outlined yet was already causing an uproar.
If he found out, he would probably laugh in exasperation and mutter:
"Can't these guys just let me have a break for once? Damn it!"
[246] This Is What You Call a Dimensional Beatdown!
Monday.
Akifumi Mugiho shuffled out of his room, yawning loudly as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
He glanced at his reflection in the hallway mirror and frowned at the dark circles under his eyes.
"Creativity is slowly killing me"
He sighed dramatically, stretching as he mumbled, "Alright. No more late nights starting today."
Of course, even someone as disciplined as Akifumi wasn't immune to the holiday blues.
The long break had dulled his rhythm, and naturally, his work pace had slowed with it.
But this morning was different.
What pulled him out of bed so early wasn't duty, nor a schedule.
It was an unfinished story idea, something left unresolved from the last writing competition.
The concept of "Unnatural" had been nagging at the back of his mind for days, refusing to fade, like a whisper he couldn't ignore.
So, despite it being 8 a.m. which for him was technically sleeping in he was up with a rare sense of purpose.
